August TV ushers in second seasons of two very different series: the sardonic goth girl misadventures of "Wednesday" and a tale of adult friendship between opposite genders in "Platonic." Plus, old favorites draw new inspiration, with a small-screen addition to the "Alien" cinematic universe, a dramatic — but accurate — retelling of the Amanda Knox trial and new animated heartbreak from the creator of "BoJack Horseman."
'Platonic'
The first season of "Platonic" found the immensely charming Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne playing besties navigating life together in Los Angeles. The relationship between Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen) begged the "age-old question: can a man and a woman be nothing more than friends?" said Variety. The answer was a resounding "yes." Season two picks up as Will is planning his impending nuptials — and getting a bad case of cold feet. Rogen and Byrne "create a natural and easy chemistry as best friends who are always there for one another — except when they're not, because they got into another big fight, or one of them has screwed up the other one's life in epic and horrific (and hilarious) fashion," said Richard Roeper at Roger Ebert. (August 6, Apple TV+)
'Wednesday'
Netflix fan favorite "Wednesday" is back for a second season of "horror homages, dark comedy and deadpan reactions," said Noel Murray at The New York Times. It will be split into two releases airing on August 6 and September 3, respectively. In season two, the Addams Family's gloomiest gal is back at Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for teen oddballs with monstrous superpowers. But famous loner Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is unhappy to find she has "become popular with her classmates after saving the school from a vengeful killer" in the previous season. Steve Buscemi joins the cast as a new school principal and seasoned spook-master Tim Burton directs four of the season's eight episodes. (August 6, Netflix)
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'Alien: Earth'
It was only a matter of time before the iconic "Alien" franchise made its way to the small screen. Almost 50 years after Ridley Scott's "Alien" changed the landscape of horror filmmaking forever, a new show from "Fargo" creator Noah Hawley comes to Hulu. "Alien: Earth" is set in 2120, two years before the events of Scott's film, and centers on Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a squad leader investigating a crashed research vessel. Lucky for audiences sick of reboots and prequels, "Earth" is "mostly not about rehashing 'Alien' at all," said Angie Han at The Hollywood Reporter. Instead, it "treats that familiar template less as a formula than a launchpad for its own ambitions — in this case, a heady, sprawling, occasionally unwieldy but eventually thrilling epic about personhood, hubris and, of course, the primal pleasure of watching people get absolutely rocked by space monsters." (August 12, Hulu)
'The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox'
One of the most intriguing true crime stories of the 21st century gets the prestige series treatment with "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox," the story of a 20-year-old exchange student convicted of murdering her roommate in Perugia, Italy, in 2007. The real Amanda (played by Grace Van Patten here) was held in an Italian prison for four years before being acquitted, and the resulting case made her world-famous. "While Knox's story has been told many times over the years (in a 2016 Netflix documentary among others), what truly sets this series apart is the fact that Knox — along with Monica Lewinsky, who knows a thing or two about being unfairly judged — are both executive producers on this eight-episode series," said Amy Amatangelo at Paste magazine. (August 20, Hulu)
'Long Story Short'
"BoJack Horseman," a melancholy and brilliant series about a washed-up sitcom actor who also happened to be a horse, made history as Netflix's first original animated show in 2014. Now, 11 years later, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is back on the network with a new adult animation, and he is joined by former collaborator Lisa Hanawalt (also known for "Tuca & Bertie"). "Long Story Short" is a comedy following the siblings of one family — the Schwoopers — from childhood to adulthood. It has already been renewed for a second season ahead of the series premiere. (August 22, Netflix)
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